(Photos by Abby Jiu | Planning + design by KC You There | Florals: Bows & Arrows)
Should you or should you not do a wedding first look?
Not sure what I’m referring to? Well here’s a breakdown – a “first look” on a wedding day is when the bride and groom see each other prior to her walking down the aisle at their ceremony. While it’s the norm to do this in some religions, it’s become even more favored by most couples. As a planner, I wanted to share the top pros and cons of this newer tradition…
Pros of a First Look:
>Getting to see each other sooner
>Ease nerves & get your tears out before the ceremony (it’s ok if you still shed some at the altar)
>Taking just about all of the portrait and “must have” shots prior to the ceremony (aka getting them out of the way and leaving more time for connecting with loved ones later)
>Being able to enjoy your cocktail hour!
Cons of a First Look:
>You won’t be sticking to a ‘traditional’ way (that may be important for some)
>Seeing each other for the first time at the altar
>Having to refresh hair & makeup (which could be costly as you’ll likely need to keep your hair & makeup artists on for longer)
>Potential issues with lighting – your photographer will really need to be the one who suggests the best location, as couples portraits will be taken earlier in the day if you choose a first look
>You may have to start to getting ready a bit earlier in the day since your timeline will shift for pictures
Whatever you choose, there’s no right or wrong way – you’ll know exactly what works best for you and your partner. I always said I wanted to see Curt for the first time by walking down the aisle and meeting him at the altar, but the wedding planner in me thought for practicality reasons, we should do a first look. We want to enjoy the day as much as possible with each other and our guests – which means getting to cocktail hour and our reception sooner rather than later. Above all, I know we’ll just want to see each other as soon as possible.
